Introduction / Objectives:

To know demographic factors, presentation, diagnosis, etiological classification, co-morbidities, medication management. To plan service provision at different levels.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study involving all patients who attended the Specialist Epilepsy Clinic over period of 5 years. Data was collected using a standardized Performa.

Results:

Total 5861 patients with seizures: 3490 male (59%) mean age 3.8 years (range 0-16) and 2371 female (41%) with a mean age 4.3 years (range 0-16). Of these 2588 (44%) had Epilepsy and 3273 (56%) were non-epileptic in nature.

Of all the patients, 698 (12%)  presented with prolonged seizures.

The non-epileptic category (n-3273) – Acute symptomatic seizures 1532 (47%), Febrile seizures 1048 (32%),reflex anoxic seizures 275 (8%) and others 418 (13%).

The Epilepsy category (n-2588)- 1030 (40%) had EEG and 1343 (52%) had Neuroimaging performed of which 42% had CT Brain. 1563 children (60%) had focal, 874 (34 %) generalized seizures and 151 (6%) were unclassified. Syndromic classification possible in 592 (23%). Major etiologies were perinatal insult - 1244 (48%) and post encephalitis sequelae 281 (11%). 2127 (82 %) had neuro-developmental delay.

Patients were on a mean 1.6 (median 2, range 0 to 4) AEDs. 1265 (49 %) patients were able to come off their AEDs, 981 (38%) were refractory to medical treatment.

Conclusion / Discussion:

Seizures are the major cause for referral to Specialist clinic. Preventable causes of brain injury remains the major cause of Epilepsy in developing countries. This study should help future care plan and resource management.